Spectroscopy imagers disperse a light source (e.g., from an object) into spectral lines and collect the photonic charges of the spectral lines with an imaging device such as a charge coupled device array (CCD). A typical CCD incorporates photosensitive devices arranged in rows and columns to collect photonic charge. The photosensitive devices convert collected photonic charge into electrical charge. The electric charge is then accumulated across multiple photo-detectors, e.g., by row or column, for analysis.
When a CCD collects photons from high intensity spectral lines, charges accumulating within the CCD may exceed the capacity of the individual photosensitive devices. To prevent excess charge from influencing adjacent photosensitive devices, the excess charge is generally drained away. This draining, however, results in the loss of spectral line detail. Accordingly, a need exists for improved spectroscopy imaging methods and apparatus that extend the dynamic range of spectroscopy imagers to capture details within high intensity spectral lines.